


Karushuu Week July 2016

by Shadows_Are_Everywhere



Series: Karushuu Week [2]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-23 02:05:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7462446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadows_Are_Everywhere/pseuds/Shadows_Are_Everywhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karushuu Week fics for July 11-18, for Karushuu week on Tumblr. Hope you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1 - Challenge

**Time Period: First year of high school, Koro-Sensei has been killed**

 

                Gakushuu Asano couldn’t believe his freaking luck. He meant that as in bad luck, by the way, most certainly not good luck, because anything having to do with Karma Akabane was defiantly bad luck.

                While he had indeed renewed their rivalry at graduation last year, he really hadn’t expected Karma to be in the same class as him. After all, Karma did still come from E-Class, so surely he wouldn’t be in A class. But sure enough, as Gakushuu walked into class the first day, there was Akabane in the back. He couldn’t mistake that shock of red hair.

                The feeling in his chest was defiantly anger and shock, he told himself. It certainly wasn’t any kind of excitement that his rival was in the same class as him. Not at all. As he took his seat in the front, he felt eyes on him. He told himself that it couldn’t possibly be Akabane, because that would very much be ridiculous.

                He should have known better.

~~~

                “Asano-Kun~”

                Gakushuu let out a sigh, not bothering to turn around as he ate his lunch. He chose to eat on the rooftop, alone. The other Virtuoso’s tried to come with him, but he insisted he wanted to study alone, and they complied, some more reluctantly than others. He wanted to be alone, but he supposed that it was too much to ask.

                “Hello Akabane.” Gakushuu replied evenly, taking a bite of his lunch. Akabane plopped beside him, taking out his own bento and pulling open the lid.

                “Hey Second Place.” Karma chirped. “You seem awfully alone, so you won’t mind me eating here, right?”

                “I suppose.” He mumbled in return, trying not to let the irritation show through. He came up here to be alone, and he got Akabane bothering him. Fantastic. Just what he needed. They sat in silence for several minutes, before Akabane finally broke it.

                “Hey, let’s play a game.”

                “And why would I play a game with you?” Gakushuu finally looked over at him, slowly raising an eyebrow.

                “What, you scared? I mean, I already beat you before, so I suppose that isn’t surprising. You do hate to lose.” Akabane shrugged, a shit eating grin on his face. Gakushuu scowled, looking back down at his food. Karma was baiting him, and he knew it.

                “What are you proposing?” Gakushuu wasn’t sure why he was even thinking about this, but it could at least prove to be interesting. He could always refuse, if the game sounded too messed up or to out of his comfort zone.

                “It’s simple, just Dare.” Karma brightened when he asked. Gakushuu wondered why he wanted to play a game with him so badly. He considered it through, taking another bite of food.

                “Only if there are rules in place.” Gakushuu finally agreed. Karma perked up, looking happier than Gakushuu had seen him in a long time. Not that he cared about Karma’s happiness, just an observation.

                “Name your rules then, Almost There.” The redhead chirped. Gakushuu thought it over carefully before pulling a paper and pencil out of his bag. Setting his lunch to the side, he started writing out rules onto the paper. It was better to have it written out, so Akabane couldn’t change the rules and claim that it was the original.

                “First, Nothing that would interfere with our studies or grades. Agreed?”

                “Agreed.” Karma nodded, peering over at the paper. “Always so efficient, Second Place. Why the paper?”

                “Because I don’t trust you.” Gakushuu grumbled in return. “Second, nothing humiliating.”

                “Nope!” Karma spoke up. “You can’t do that to me, it takes all the fun out of it!” Gakushuu eyed him, then the paper, before amending the rule.

                “Nothing publicly humiliating. Better?” Karma took a moment to think it over, before nodding.

                “Okay, I can compromise on that.”

                “Third, nothing illegal.”

                “Alright alright.”

                “Fourth, this game will not involve anyone outside the two of us. Meaning you can’t dare me to do something to one of my friends or a random stranger, and vice versa.”

                “Fine. How many rules will there be? Honestly.”

                “Only five. Finally, this game will not be told to anyone else. No one else will know that we’re playing.”

                “Alright alright. Is that it? Can we start now?” Karma beamed. Gakushuu signed on the bottom of his paper, holding it out to Karma.

                “Sign with your full legal name please. Then we can begin.”

                “What is this, a contract?” Karma asked, amused. He signed it though, handing it back over.

                “Just making sure we both acknowledge and agree to the terms officially. I don’t like verbal agreements, too easy to break.” Gakushuu folded the paper and tucked it in his bag. “Now, we have about ten more minutes in lunch. I recommend you decide your dare quickly.” He continued eating his lunch, letting Karma think over his choices.

                “You know, I think I’ll start tomorrow.” The redhead stood, grinning down at Gakushuu. “Prepare yourself, So Close and Yet So Far. See you tomorrow!” He waved, heading to the door. Gakushuu watched him go, eyes narrowed.

                The first dare he was doing was to make Karma stop calling him by nicknames. They really were quite annoying.


	2. Day Two - Mafia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually one of my favorite prompts to write, along with Trust and Proposal. I did I little research for it because I wanted to be as accurate as I can (There still some inaccuracy, since neither the End Family or the Asano Family are Italian), so this takes place in the probation era, when mobs did a lot of selling illegal alcohol. Anyway, my little rant is over, and I hope you enjoy!

**Time Period: America, 1920s**

 

                Karma Akabane wasn’t really sure why he was here. After all, negotiation wasn’t exactly his forte, and that seemed to be why he was here. Then again, Koro-Sensei had also sent Nagisa Shiota, who was good at negotiation. And not pissing the other party off. Why was Karma here again?

                “So, am I your bodyguard?” Karma asked, glancing down at the shorter boy. Nagisa smiled, nodding.

                “Yeah, probably. Considering we’re meeting with the head of the Asano Family, I’m surprised Rio didn’t come as well.” He said quietly. Rio Nakamura, Karma’s partner and fellow bodyguard for the higher up members of the End Family.

                “Probably didn’t want to send too many. It might set them on edge.” Nagisa murmured. “Try not to make the head mad? Koro-Sensei really wants this alliance, it could bring us a lot of revenue.”

                “Yeah yeah, I won’t piss him off.” Karma rolled his eyes. “Let’s just head in and get this over with, alright?”

                Nagisa nodded, and the two of them climbed out of the car. It was an impressive house, unsurprising considering the amount of money this family made. Large iron fences surrounded the yard, with a gate that they had been let through when they drove up and stated their business to one of the bodyguards. They were being eyed by a few more now, as they walked to the door and were let in by the bodyguard who let them in the gate.

                “I’ll go tell him you’re here, wait.” The bodyguard headed up the steps. Karma slid his hands in his suit pockets, fingers brushing the small pocket knife he hid there. He also had a gun on the inside of his suit jacket, but they’d likely make him give it up before they went in. He wanted some protection, so the knife it was.

                “You can come up.” The man came back after a moment. Nagisa and Karma headed up the steps, following him into a small meeting room. Karma took quick notice of exits and number of bodyguards-three large windows, likely bulletproof glass. He could get through it with Nagisa if needed, two shots and slamming his body through it would work, though the two story drop wouldn’t be fun. About five bodyguards. They didn’t take his gun… Likely thought he wouldn’t pull it on threat of being killed instantly. They were likely right.

                Karma’s eyes were drawn to the chair, shock flooding his system. That wasn’t Gakuho Asano, the man they were expecting. Instead, a male with longer strawberry blonde hair and piercing violet eyes sat in the chair, hands folded together as he watched them. His resemblance to Gakuho was striking, and Karma realized that this must be his son. Gakushuu Asano.

                “I’m terribly sorry my father couldn’t be here.” Gakushuu spoke. His voice was smooth and even, though Karma tell by the look in his eyes that there was more to him than the eye could see. This man was dangerous, probably just as dangerous as his father. “He’s handling some business in Chicago. I hope you don’t mind.”

                “Not at all.” Nagisa smiled politely. “I’m Nagisa Shiota, this is Karma Akabane.”

                Gakushuu’s eyes lingered on Karma a moment too long. He couldn’t help but wink, taking pleasure in the fact that Gakushuu looked away a bit too quickly after that.

                Okay, he needed to stop right there. He defiantly did not need to be flirting with the enemy. Attractive as hell or not-Okay, he defiantly didn’t need to be attracted to the enemy!

                Shaking those thoughts away, he followed Nagisa as the other boy sat down, standing behind his chair. Nothing was said about it, it was pretty obvious why Karma was here. He more or less tuned out the conversation, keeping an ear out for anything dangerous as he watched Gakushuu with a carefully crafted expression of boredom. He knew better than to let his emotions show on his face, especially here.

                Gakushuu was pretty attractive, he had to admit. His eyes were especially striking, a color he hadn’t seen before, though he knew he shared the trait with his father. Karma himself had strangely colored eyes, golden, which was a pain at times.

                Those violet eyes flicked to him occasionally before returning to Nagisa. Karma was in the midst of deciding if it was a sign of mutual attraction or simply keeping an eye on the danger when Gakushuu straightened, signaling an end to the negotiation. Karma tuned back in, glancing down at Nagisa.

                “I’ll share this with my father. Thank you for coming by to talk. You should come back by next week about this time, my father will be here to chat with you and you can make the final arrangements.” Gakushuu was saying. They both stood, shaking hands. So it had gone well, excellent.

                “Thank you for your time.” Nagisa nodded. Karma took a step back as he slipped away from the chair.

                “Here, let me show you out.” Gakushuu smiled, a fake polite one that Karma saw right through. Probably a courtesy taught to him by his father. The blonde led the way out of the room, with Nagisa and Karma following behind.

                He had a nice ass too, Karma mused to himself as they walked. He was entirely thankful that the other was in front of him, keeping his head up to avoid any suspicion from the guards behind them. After all, having a liking towards men wasn’t exactly approved of in this day and age. Not that Karma even cared, but still.

                “I hope to see you again in a week.” Gakushuu smiled as he opened the door for them. Nagisa nodded, walking outside with Karma close behind him. He couldn’t help but glance back, catching Gakushuu’s eye one last time.

                And there was no mistaking the wink from the blonde before the door shut.

~~~

                The next week they returned, this time with both Rio and Karma tailing Nagisa. After all, with Asano Sr. here, there would likely be more security and more risk. It’s be better to have them both here to protect Nagisa.

                They walked in the front door, this time being greeted by none other than the father of the Asano family. Karma watched this man, eyes narrowed. The read he got off him was much more dangerous than the one he got off his son, and he didn’t like it. Rio glanced at him, and he knew they both felt it. This man was defiantly one of the most dangerous mafia bosses, there was no doubt. Thankfully for them, Koro-Sensei was as well. Unless Gakuho wanted full out mafia war, he wouldn’t try to hurt them.

                “It’s nice to meet you, Nagisa.” Gakuho smiled politely. “This must be Karma, my son told me about you. However, I don’t think I’m familiar with you, Miss…”

                “Rio Nakamura.” Rio smiled. Karma suppressed a chuckle at her fake smile, knowing she was probably on edge of being discriminated against. After all, you didn’t see to many female bodyguards for Mafia families.

                “Nice to meet you all. Now, Nagisa, if you’d like you can come up to the meeting room. I’m sure you don’t need both of your bodyguards with you, my son can keep the other company.” Karma saw straight through that, and Nagisa likely did too. He was testing them, seeing if they would trust him. Gakushuu would keep an eye on the other bodyguard, making sure they didn’t go snooping. He and Rio shared another look, and they both nodded.

                “No problem.” Nagisa smiled, heading to the steps. Rio followed him instantly, leaving Karma to watch warily and wait for Gakushuu.

                If he wasn’t so nervous about Nagisa and Rio being alone up there, he would wonder at what fantastic luck landed him with Gakushuu for a good hour or so. The other male appeared in the entrance of a room, Karma’s eye instantly drawn to the movement. His eyebrow raised slightly when he saw Karma, before he motioned for him to follow. Karma glanced up the stairs one last time before following him into the room.

                As the door shut behind him, the redhead glancing around. It was just him and Gakushuu, no guards. That was surprising, he expected there to be one or two at least. Gakushuu was calmly making coffee on a table, glancing back at Karma.

                “You can sit.” He motioned back to the couch. Karma eyed him warily, crossing his arms.

                “Why aren’t there any guards? Considering you’re the heir to the family, you’d think you’d be more protected.” Karma pointed out.

                “I can defend myself against one bodyguard, no matter how strong rumor says you are. I’m certain I could match, if not beat you.” Gakushuu turned. “There are also bodyguards outside the room, if they hear me yell then they will come.”

                “Why am I in here? Why did your dad separate me from the other two?”

                “If you’re worried that my father will try and harm Nagisa and… Rio, was that her name? Well, he won’t. He’s not stupid by any means, and starting a war with the End family is the last thing we need. So don’t worry.” Gakushuu sipped his coffee, offering Karma the second. He eyed it distrustfully, until Gakushuu rolled his eyes and took a sip of it.

                “See? Not poisoned. Will you relax now?”

                Karma finally walked over, taking the cup from him and sipping at the coffee. It wasn’t bad, a little strong for his taste, but he made no move for the sugar. Gakushuu turned and walked to the couch, setting his cup in the coffee table before sitting down. Karma followed his example, setting his cup down and sitting beside him.

                “So why are you the one in here with me?” Karma asked. Gakushuu tilted his head, and Karma was again reminded at how striking his eyes were.

                “I assumed that you would come back with Nagisa, and likely bring another bodyguard in case there was more security. While I wasn’t certain you would be the one to stay behind, I hoped.” Gakushuu shrugged, crossing his legs neatly. “So I offered to stay with the one who stayed behind, in order to assure you didn’t snoop around.”

                “Why would you do that?” Karma hadn’t forgotten the wink, but he wasn’t expecting the other to be so bold. Especially considering who he was.

                “Because I think you’re attractive, Karma Akabane.” Gakushuu turned his head and smirked. It wasn’t a fake smile for show, this was real, and Karma appreciated that. “I always get what I want, and as of right now, I want you. I assumed by our interaction last week that you felt the same, on some level.”

                Karma couldn’t help but grin darkly, leaning closer to the other. “And here I thought it was just me. Are you sure this isn’t some trap to distract me?”

                “Not at all. You’re free to poke your head out the door at any time and listen for screaming.” Gakushuu shrugged, smirk still firmly in place. For some reason, Karma actually believed that no harm would come to his friends. Gakushuu did have a point, his father would have to be an idiot to try and start a war with the End family. Both families might be powerful, but they were pretty even and a war would take many lives that neither wanted to lose.

                “So I suppose we’ve got an hour to ourselves. What do you propose we do, Almighty Heir to the Asano Family?” Karma mocked. Gakushuu unfolded his legs, glancing over.

                “Oh, I think we can figure it out.” With that, Karma was on his back with Gakushuu on top of him. He was actually pretty shocked, considering how fast the other moved. Gakushuu was incredibly close, violet staring into gold.

                “I think we can too.” Karma breathed, closing the distance between them and kissing the blonde. Gakushuu returned the kiss instantly, turning it into a battle for dominance that Karma had to admit the other was winning. Obviously because he was shocked at this turn of events, that was defiantly it.

                Though he had to admit, the prospect of meeting someone who was his equal on all levels excited him a lot. He wanted to keep Gakushuu close to him for as long as he wanted, and learn everything about this mafia heir.


	3. Day Three - Competition

**Time Period: The day after Day 1**

 

                Gakushuu Asano was starting to wonder what he had gotten himself into.

                After telling his friends that he once again wanted to be alone eating lunch, Gakushuu waited for Karma to appear on the roof. It took about ten minutes, but finally the redhead showed, and Gakushuu defiantly didn’t like the look on his face.

                “If your dare involves my food, I’d really rather you let me finish first.” Gakushuu said dryly, taking a bite of his food.

                “Don’t worry Second Place, it doesn’t.” Kara chirped, sitting beside him. Gakushuu was suddenly reminded of his plan to get Karma to stop calling him the freaking nicknames, because they were starting to grate on his nerves.

                “So what is it then? Remember the rules.” Gakushuu sighed, taking another bite.

                “Pretty simple really, wouldn’t want to start off with a dare that would make you quit.” Karma shrugged, leaning back on his forearms. “I dare you to do my ethics homework.”

                Gakushuu scowled. Of course, his least favorite subject. “Choosing to be lazy? Fine, whatever. You’ll have to copy mine in your own handwriting though, so the teacher won’t get angry.” He didn’t like cheating, but it wasn’t in the rules so he couldn’t do anything. This didn’t count as interfering with schoolwork.

                “My turn. I dare you to stop calling me all those stupid nicknames.” Gakushuu glanced over. “Gakushuu is fine, thank you.”

                Karma pouted. “You planned that, didn’t you? That’s really not fair, do you hate them that much?”

                “Yes.” Gakushuu muttered irritably. “It’s annoying. Call me Gakushuu and be done with it, alright?” He ate a couple more bites of his food before closing the box and putting it in his bag.

                “Whatever, fine.” Karma rolled his eyes. “My turn. I dare you too…” The bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Gakushuu shrugged, picking his bag up.

                “For another time then, Akabane.” Gakushuu headed for the door. Karma’s voice stopped him.

                “I dare you to call me Karma. Since I’m supposed to call you Gakushuu.” The blonde glanced back, smiling slightly.

                “Alright, fine. Karma.” With that, he turned and headed down the steps.

~~~

                That afternoon, Karma caught up to him as he was walking home. He glanced over, having already decided what his dare ready. After all, he really was tired of making his own lunch, and Karma was plenty capable…

                “Planning on continuing?” He asked, looking ahead. Karma folded his arms behind his head, grinning.

                “Bring it on. Do your worst.”

                “I dare you to make me a lunch every day. No poisoning it.” Karma groaned.

                “Seriously?”

                “It means I save money on food and I don’t have to make my own lunch. Sounds like a good deal to me.” Gakushuu shrugged. “Are you giving up over that?”

                Karma huffed. “No. Whatever. My turn.”

                “This is my place.” Gakushuu stopped, turning towards him. “So either get it over with now, or wait until tomorrow.”

                Karma looked over, a thoughtful look crossing his face before he grinned a bit widely. “I have one. I dare you to kiss me.”

                Gakushuu’s eyes widened slightly as he glanced around them. The streets were deserted, it was rather late. Gakushuu had to stay behind a couple hours to help the student council. He glanced at Karma, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat. He was proud of himself, he thought he’d gotten to Gakushuu. The blonde couldn’t have that.

                He stepped forward, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him forward. Karma’s eyes got a bit wide as Gakushuu kissed him hard, holding onto his shirt collar. His hands came down to rest on Gakushuu’s hips, tugging him closer,

                Gakushuu wasn’t sure why he was still kissing him - he must have fulfilled the requirement - but when Karma poked at his closed lips, he let him deepen the kiss, letting him pull him closer.

                It suddenly hit him like a truck, what he was doing. Kissing his rival, another male, in public where anyone could see them. He jerked away with a small gasp, easily breaking Karma’s hold. The other wasn’t expecting it, and let him go rather easily. The redhead’s hand reached for him a moment before suddenly dropping. Gakushuu took a step back, then turned and darted into his apartment building.

                What the hell was he thinking?!

~~~

                That night, he tossed and turned in bed, trying to figure out why. Why had he kissed Karma like that? He had intended on a simple kiss, fast and easy. Fulfill the dare and be done with it. Instead, he ended up French kissing the damn devil! Why did he let it happen?

                He pulled the covers up, scowling. He didn’t like Karma, did he? That wasn’t possible… There was no way. The redhead was his rival! His sworn enemy! He wasn’t supposed to like him! Not like that!

                Did Karma like him like that? The way he reacted to that kiss, it could be a safe assumption. Gakushuu frowned, burrowing deeper in the covers. He didn’t want to deal with this. He could miss one day of school, it wouldn’t be that big a deal. He could easily catch up.

~~~

                Gakushuu skipped the next day, choosing to sleep and worry over his feelings all day. The day after, he returned to school, not looking at Karma throughout class. At lunchtime, he wasn’t even sure the other would come up to the roof.

                He did.

                He sat beside Gakushuu like it was any other day, sliding over a box. Gakushuu blinked down at it, slowly picking it up.

                “My dare. I made you lunch, so.” Karma explained. Gakushuu pulled it open, surprised to see things he actually liked. He figured Karma might make him everything he knew he hated, just to spite him. He picked up his chopsticks, taking a small bite. They were silent for most of lunch, eating in silence, until Karma spoke.

                “Hey. It’s your turn, you know. You can dare me to stop this, if you want.”

                Gakushuu looked over at him, having finished his food. Karma was looking straight ahead, frowning slightly.

                “You’re right.” He agreed softly, setting the box to the side and turning to Karma. The other tilted his head slightly, indicating that he was listening.

                “I dare you to kiss me.”

                Karma look over, shocked. Gakushuu looked determined, face set. This was his choice, and he’d be damned if he took it back. Karma took a moment to see that he was serious, before shifting closer.

                “Are you sure?”

                “I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”

                Karma smiled, a genuine smile, not a smirk, and leaned forward. The kiss was gentle this time, sweet, and Gakushuu slid one of his hands in the others hair to pull him closer. Karma finally pulled away, smiling slightly.

                “Still okay?”

                “Still okay.” Karma smirked, and pushed Gakushuu down on his back. The blonde blinked slightly, before their lips connected and he just went with it. Whatever. He’d gone this far, no turning back or freaking out now.

                Later, when he met up with his friends again, Ren looked over and grinned at Gakushuu. Gakushuu raised an eyebrow in response, wondering what his romantic friend had up his sleeve.

                “Say, Gakushuu, are you going up to the roof every day to meet up with a girl?” The brunette winked at him. “We wouldn’t blame you for it!” Gakushuu smiled slightly, adjusting his bag.

                “I suppose you could say that.”


	4. Day Four - Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also loved writing this one, even if it got written at three in the morning and became the most angsty of all the oneshots. Also, this is the first one where my little headcannon comes into play, because I headcannon that they would call each other Strawberry and Orange, respectively. I though it'd be cute ^^ Anyway, I'm done rambling. Hope you enjoy!

**Time Period: College, Established Relationship**

 

                _Don’t you trust me?_

                What a funny thing to ask, Karma Akabane mused to himself. He bit on his thumb, sitting high up in an oak tree in a park near their apartment.

                Trust was such a fickle thing. So easy to break, yet so hard to gain.

                Karma vaguely wondered if Gakushuu still trusted him. Probably. After all, he’d done nothing wrong.

                Had Gakushuu done something wrong?

                He wasn’t sure. That was his problem, he wasn’t sure. His teeth ground harder into his thumb, little spikes of pain going through it. He hated not being sure, because he didn’t know how to react. Did he get angry, or did he believe Gakushuu. Did he hear him out? Maybe it was a misunderstanding.

                Trust was such a fickle thing.

                How late was it? Karma released his thumb long enough to tilt his head back, the crescent moon greeting him through the leaves. He remembered that teacher, that stupid teacher who got his trust and went away.

                How many people had he trusted? His parents, Ono-Sensei, Koro-Sensei, Nagisa… Gakushuu. They all left him. His parents didn’t really ever care, did they? Leaving a child to fend for themselves. They were his parents, he was supposed to trust them.

                Ono-Sensei betrayed him without a second thought. After all, no one in that school gave a damn about anyone who threatened their grades or their paycheck.

                Koro-Sensei disappeared. No, Koro-Sensei died. Vanishing into bubbles. The teacher that made him see everything through in a new light.

                He lost Nagisa, only to become his friend again. Now they almost never talked. Nagisa was so busy with teaching and Kayano, he didn’t even make it to the monthly meetings at the old E-Class building anymore. Kayano said he was focused on his career. He wondered if she felt betrayed too.

                Now there was Gakushuu. Karma didn’t realize that he had started biting his thumb again, until he felt something warm and wet against his lips. He pulled away, blinking at the blood coming out of his teeth marks. Oops.

                “Karma!” The redhead tilted his head a bit, blinking slowly. Eh? Was that Gakushuu? What was he doing out here, why would he be looking for him?

                “Karma, where the hell are you?! It’s been hours, I’m seriously worried!” Karma thought over it. Had Gakushuu been… crying? He wasn’t sure.

                “If you’re here, y-you better come out!” His voice cracked. Gakushuu had defiantly been crying. Karma frowned. Gakushuu didn’t ever cry, he wondered if the blonde was even able sometimes. They’d been dating for five years now and he’d never seen the other cry.

                A pang of sympathy hit him as Gakushuu called his name again. He must seriously be worried. Sucking on his thumb to slow the bleeding, Karma started carefully climbing down the branches until he was closer to the ground. He could barely see Gakushuu in the light of the lamps around the park, searching around frantically.

                “How’d you know I’d be here?” He called, loud enough for Gakushuu to hear. The blonde instantly turned, relief flooding his features as he rushed over to him. Even from his perch on the lowest branch, he could see faint tear tracks on his cheeks. Huh.

                “I figured you’d be here, or walking around aimlessly. This was my best bet.” Gakushuu swiped his cheeks, obviously trying to hide that he was crying. Karma decided not to comment. “I gave you hours to calm down, then I started getting worried.”

                “Eh? How long have I been out?” Karma murmured vaguely, tilting his head.

                “About six hours now. It’s nearly midnight.” Gakushuu said softly. Wow. He hadn’t meant to be gone that long. No wonder Gakushuu came searching for him.

                “Sorry.” Karma finally climbed to the ground. “Didn’t mean to stay out that long.” The air between them was tense. They could both feel it. He faced Gakushuu, only for the other boy to wrap his arms around him and hug him tightly. Karma was shocked, slowly reaching up to hug him back.

                “I thought you were dead or something, bastard.” Gakushuu mumbled, sniffing slightly. “You should’ve at least come back and let me explain! I understand taking a few hours to calm down, but it’s been nearly six!”

                Karma sighed, breathing in Gakushuu’s scent. Oranges, like that stupid shampoo he insisted on using. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

                Gakushuu pulled away slightly, though his grip was tight on Karma’s arms. It was like he was scared the redhead would run away again. “She was trying to kiss me. I was pushing her away.”

                “Really?” Karma asked softly.

                “Yes.” Gakushuu stared straight into his eyes. Karma could tell when he was lying, they’d been together long enough and knew each other well enough even before that. He was telling the truth. “I wouldn’t do that to you. You should know that by now Karma.”

                “Everyone else I trusted left or betrayed me.” Karma said softly, trying very hard not to sound like a broken child. Honestly, he was better than that.

                Gakushuu’s eyes widened slightly, before he hugged him again. “I will not leave you.” The blonde vowed softly. “And I won’t betray you. Ever. You aren’t getting rid of me anytime soon, got it Strawberry?”

                Karma managed a small smile, trying not to cry himself. “If you say so, Orange.”

                _Do you trust me?_

_Guess I do._


	5. Day Five - Summer

**Time Period: Summer of their senior year of High School**

 

               Gakushuu Asano sighed, fixing his sunglasses as he headed down the wooden steps and onto the sand. He and Ren were vacationing in Okinawa together, as the other three of their group had other things to do. Gakushuu was a bit glad, since he never felt quite comfortable around them. He could be a little more himself with Ren, as he was closer to his brunette friend. While Ren was getting drinks and food from the staff at the resort for their beach day, Gakushuu had offered to carry their towels and umbrella down to the beach.

                Glancing around, Gakushuu spotted a relatively clear spot and headed over. There was only one other towel over here, a red one. Gakushuu laid out his and Ren’s towels a couple feet away, pushing the umbrella in the sand between the two. With their place set up, Gakushuu settled on his towel and pulled his book from the bag. He fully intended on spending most of this beach day with a nice book, at least until Ren dragged him into the water.

                Flipping to the first page, Gakushuu got comfortable and got ready for a nice relaxing day at the beach. After all, what could possible ruin his-

                “Eh, is that a Gakushuu I see?”

                Shit.

                Gakushuu slowly lowered his book to see a red haired devil peered at him from a couple inches from his towel. Of course. Just his luck. Karma Akabane was here.

                During their years of high school, Gakushuu and Karma had gradually grown to accept each other. Gakushuu wouldn’t call them friends, but he wouldn’t call them enemies either. They were rivals, and they were both fine with that.

                However, that did not mean that Gakushuu wanted him and his devil ways ruining his final summer vacation. After all, he’d be too busy during college summers for vacations. He scowled at the other boy, setting his book on his stomach.

                “What brings you here, Akabane?” He questioned.

                “Just some fun in the sun. I didn’t expect to run into you here, Orange.” Ah yes, Akabane’s new favorite nickname for him. Honestly, why did they have to vacation at the same resort…

                “Yes, well if you could kindly please forget that I am here, that would be fantastic.” Gakushuu said irritably. “I was read-“

                “Hey Gakushuu!” Both males looked over as Ren walked towards them. Well, this was it. Gakushuu was doomed. Because Ren and Karma had actually kind of started getting along, and Ren was a nice person, so likely he would invite Akabane to hang out with them. There was no escape.

                Akabane blinked over as Ren ran over to the towels, finally noticing the redhead. “Hey, Akabane? What are you doing here?”

                “Vacationing. I ran into Shuu here and thought I might hang out with him.” Akabane chirped, innocent smile on his face. Gakushuu scowled, hiding his face behind the book.

                “Devil on earth.” He grumbled, low enough that Ren couldn’t hear him and scold him for being rude. Karma seemed to hear him though, he saw his lips curl up in a smile.

                “We’re both spending the week! Are you here with anybody?” Ren asked. Gakushuu peered over his book enough to see Karma shake his head, a flash of something like… loneliness? Saddness? It kind of made him feel a bit… sorry for him. At least Gakushuu had Ren, if no one else.

                “Why don’t you hang out with us then? It’s no fun being on vacation without friends.” Not sorry enough that Gakushuu wanted him to stick around and bother him though.

                “Hey, I don’t want to bother you and Shuu.” Karma held his hands up. Gakushuu saw straight through the innocent act. Of course he did, he was a master manipulator as well. He was saying that to get sympathy from Ren, who would insist, and Gakushuu would have to deal with Karma this entire week.

                “It’s only fair, you won’t bother us! Right Gakushuu?” Ren looked over at Gakushuu. The blonde scowled in return, hiding his face behind his book again.

                “Whatever.” He muttered. It was good enough for Ren, who beamed at Karma.

                “Drag your towel over here! I brought lunch for Gakushuu and I, but there’s enough extra for you too.”

                Karma agreed and headed over to grab the red towel not so far away from them. Of course. Gakushuu just walked into this, didn’t he? There was no escape from the beginning. Ren plopped down on his towel, leaning over close to Gakushuu. Gakushuu turned his head, giving Ren a dirty look.

                “Please try and be nice?” Ren frowned at him. “Come on, he’s here all alone. You know how lonely that is.”

                Okay, that wasn’t fair. “Using my childhood trauma against me is not okay Ren.” Gakushuu replied dryly.

                “It’s true! You of all people should know how it feels. He can just hang out with us for the week, and then everything will go back to normal. You can continue pretending you hate him.”

                “I don’t hate him. I just don’t like him.” Gakushuu mumbled, looking back at his book. Ren thankfully stopped talking about it when Karma got his towel back over, laying it-regretfully-beside Gakushuu’s. The redhead eyed Gakushuu a moment, before he finally looked up at him.

                “What?”

                “Did you really come to the beach to read?”

                “I already prepared myself to forcefully drag him into the water.” Ren added in cheerfully. Karma smirked wickedly, and Gakushuu was starting to wonder if he’d even survive the week.

                “Got it!” Karma reached down and, with surprising strength, lifted Gakushuu off his towel. Gakushuu let out an admittedly high pitched noise, dropping his book in the process of trying to shove Akabane away. It was too late though, there was no escape as the redhead carried him to the water.

                “Don’t drop me Akabane I swear I’ll make you-“ With an evil grin from the redhead, he was dropped into the cold water. Never one to back down on his promises, Gakushuu knocked the others feet out from under him with a well-placed martial arts move. He splashed into the water next to him, looking shocked.

                “I told you.” Gakushuu grumbled, sitting up and making a face. At least his book was saved. Karma sat up as well, grinned impishly as he wrapped his arms around Gakushuu’s shoulders.

                “What, don’t want to play in the water with me?” The redhead cooed in his ear. Gakushuu shoved him away roughly, scowling and pointedly ignoring the hint of blush he felt on his cheeks.

                “Not at all. Was I not clear on that?” Gakushuu asked sarcastically.

                “I’m hurt darling, I thought you loved me.” Karma sniffed. Gakushuu scoffed, splashing him with water.

                “Don’t be so dramatic.” Karma blinked, grinning and splashing him back hard. Gakushuu had barely gotten the water out of his eyes when Karma tackled him back into the water, resulting in a full out wrestle/splash war.

                Gakushuu honestly had no idea where Ren ran off to.

~~~

                The sun was setting when Gakushuu, Ren, and Karma carried their things back up to the hotel. Ren had asked Karma to eat dinner with them, so the redhead went to his hotel room to change. Ren and Gakushuu did the same, taking turns showering.

                “Akabane is cute, don’t you think?” Ren commented as Gakushuu looked through his suitcase for appropriate clothes. The blonde stopped, slowly looking over at his brunette friend.

                “What?”

                “Oh come on. You can’t say you haven’t noticed he’s attractive.” Yes, in fact Gakushuu had noticed. Long before this vacation. It didn’t help that they had been rolling around in the water together all day either. But the redhead was also the devil on earth, so that tended to take away from the attractiveness.

                “Why are you deciding to bring this up?” Gakushuu cocked an eyebrow, finally pulling out some black pants and a white button up.

                Ren blinked innocently. Gakushuu didn’t buy it for a second. “It was just a comment. You really shouldn’t be so defensive. Unless you happen to be jealous that I’m noticing…”

                “I knew it!” Gakushuu pointed at him, red shirt still in hand. “You’re trying to set me up with Akabane!”

                Ren sighed, holding his hands up. “Guilty as charged. You can’t say you two wouldn’t be good together. You’re both evil genius masterminds, after all. As they say, great minds think alike!”

                “We’re nothing like each other.” Gakushuu denied, though Ren’s point was probably more on point than he’d like to admit. Ren continued on like he hadn’t heard him.

                “You two complement each other in so many ways as well. Obviously you’d be an incredibly attractive couple, but the dynamic of the relationship would be so interesting as well.”

                “What am I, one of your romance novel characters?!”

“You two do constantly challenge each other, which I know is something you prefer and find difficult to find in a partner-“

“I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation.” Gakushuu groaned, stalking to the bathroom. “I’m going to change now!” Ren chuckled as Gakushuu slammed the bathroom door.

Honestly, he and Akabane would most certainly not be a good couple… Not at all. Though it was true he was incredibly attractive, with his bright hair and captivating eyes. It was also true that they challenged each other constantly, and Gakushuu did appreciate a partner that matched him in intellect. Otherwise, it was a rather boring relationship.

Gakushuu stopped, staring at himself in the mirror. He was seriously thinking about this, wasn’t he? Great. This was bad.

Dammit, Ren was starting to make him think it might be a good idea.

~~~

                Ren and Gakushuu met Karma in the hotel restaurant. This was a rather high end resort, and the restaurant had live music and a dance floor. The lighting was dim, candles on every table to create a more romantic atmosphere. Gakushuu did not appreciate that, by the way. Especially with the pointed looks Ren was giving him.

                He was used to his best friend trying to find him someone to date, but this was ridiculous. Especially considering now he could couldn’t help but notice that Akabane did indeed look very attractive in his red button up and black slacks.

                What had Ren done to him?

                Requesting a table for three, the waiter led them to a table relatively near the dance floor. There were several people around their age here, and almost immediately several of the girls noticed them and began giggling and pointing. Gakushuu glanced over, flashing a charming smile that had some of them swooning. He more or less expected this. After all, they were three attractive guys. He and Ren got it wherever they went.

                When he took his seat, he noticed Karma looking positively evil, before the expression was gone. He simply smiled in return to Gakushuu’s raised eyebrow.

                Weird.

                After they ate their dinner, making idle chitchat about their lives and what they planned to do after the summer ended, they relaxed a bit. Gakushuu noticed one of the girls from earlier getting up from her seat, walking towards them. He should’ve expected that as well.

                Ren perked up, while Karma seemed to sulk down into his chair. The first girl reached them, smiling prettily.

                “Hello. I’m Kameko.” She introduced herself. “I wanted to know if one of you would like to dance with me?”

                “I would love too.” Ren was in full out charm mode. He stood, bowing lowly before offering his hand. “My name is Ren, my beautiful rose, and dancing with you would fill me with indescribable joy.” Gakushuu had to suppress a snicker as the girl flushed, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor.

                “He always like that?” Karma questioned. Gakushuu leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes.

                “Only when someone attractive is around.” Gakusuu said dryly. “He has a way with words. It probably comes from being so good in languages. In any case, he’s rather good at sweeping people off their feet.”

                “I suppose so.” Karma trailed off, staring behind him. Gakushuu glanced back noticing the girl’s friends looking over at them. Ah, so now that their leader had been accepted, they wanted to try. Lovely.

                Gakushuu glanced back at Karma to see he had stood, coming over to stand by him and holding his hand out.

                “Hey. Come dance with me.”

                Gakushuu blinked between his face and his hand, slowly reaching over and taking it with a consenting nod. A smile spread across the redhead’s face as he pulled him up, both of them walking to the dancefloor.

                At least the song was slow. Being trained in several dances when he was younger, Gakushuu held onto one of Karma’s hands and set his other on his shoulder. Karma wrapped his arm around Gakushuu’s waist, hand settling on the small of his back. That surprised the blonde slightly, as it forced them closer. He didn’t miss Karma’s look over his shoulder, likely at those girls from earlier.

                “You know, if I didn’t know better, I might think you were jealous.” Gakushuu couldn’t help but tease lightly. Karma glanced at him, looking strangely serious. Gakushuu blinked, raising an eyebrow.

                “Are you jealous?”

                The redhead was silent a moment, before finally speaking. “So what if I am?”

                Gakushuu wasn’t expecting that answer. “Seriously? Why would you be jealous?”

                “I just am.” Karma sighed, looking away. “It’s stupid, I don’t know.”

                “Do you like me?” Gakushuu was starting to wonder why he kept asking. He could have just left it and been done with it. But here he was.

                Karma looked over again, nodding a bit. Gakushuu felt the arm around his waist tighten a bit, like he was scared that he would run away at the admission. Strangely, Gakushuu didn’t feel like running away.

                “Oh.” He didn’t know what else to say. Karma shrugged a bit, not looking away this time. Gakushuu kept eye contact, trying to figure out how he felt about this. What Ren had said earlier was messing with him… He and Karma couldn’t possibly work, could they?

                “Hey, Gakushuu.”

                “Yes?”

                “Don’t slap me or anything.” Gakushuu raised an eyebrow in confusion, the instantly noticed Karma leaning forward slightly, starting to close the distance between their faces. What was he… Oh he was trying to kiss him, wasn’t he? Shit, what did he do? Did he let him? Did he want to let him?

                …Yeah. He did. Gakushuu wanted to kiss Karma. What the hell was wrong with him? Karma’s arm tightened around his waist, and he suddenly remembered where they were. In a public restaurant, with a lot of people watching them. What was he doing?! He jerked back, away from the redhead.

                “I-No.” He managed, spinning on his heel and heading out of the restaurant quickly. He rubbed his temples as he headed back to the room.

                What the hell was he doing?!

~~~

                The next day, when Ren tried to get him to come shopping with him – and likely Akabane by extension – Gakushuu refused.

                “I don’t feel well. Do it without me, we’ll go do something fun tomorrow.” He mumbled from his mound of blankets and pillows. After trying a few more times, Ren finally left the room. Gakushuu dozed off a bit more before finally dragging himself out of bed and getting dressed. He wouldn’t be completely lazy, he planned on getting things done while inside. Maybe he’d get a through a bit of that book from yesterday, since he hadn’t gotten the chance.

                He sat on the balcony, crossing his legs as he read. He wasn’t expecting Ren back for a while, so he was surprised to hear the door open about two hours after Ren left.

                “That was fast. Normally you take longer to shop.” Gakushuu called behind him, turning the page. Ren didn’t say anything, which was strange. Gakushuu tensed as he heard footsteps get closer to him, slowly shutting his book and preparing himself for an attack.

                “He said he didn’t want to shop without you.” Gakushuu relaxed slightly, recognizing the voice. Karma. He glanced back, raising an eyebrow. The whole reason he didn’t leave was to avoid the redhead. Ren probably knew that. Damn him.

                “Why are you in here?” Gakushuu asked, setting his book to the side and standing. Karma was leaned against the glad balcony door, watching him.

                “You ran off pretty suddenly last night.”

                “What’s your point?” Gakushuu asked, scowling slightly.

                “You wanted to kiss me, didn’t you?” Karma’s expression didn’t change as he watched Gakushuu, tilting his head. Gakushuu looked away, leaning against the railing.

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

                “I saw it Gakushuu, I can read you more or less after all these years. You did. So why’d you run off?”

                Gakushuu was silent for several moments, thinking over his response before he finally spoke. “We were in public.” He pointed out. He instantly knew that he said the wrong thing, because Karma grinned, pushing himself off the glass.

                “We aren’t in public anymore.” He pointed out, stepping closer. Gakushuu flushed, looking away.

                “So?”

                “So, can I kiss you now?” He was close, Gakushuu could feel his breath. He turned his head, having to look up slightly since he was leaned against the railing. Very close. He couldn’t help glancing briefly down at Karma’s lips, something the redhead caught. Karma leaned his hand on the railing beside Gakushuu, peering at him.

                “Yes.” Gakushuu finally breathed. Karma grinned, and kissed him gently. His hand touched Gakushuu’s waist, like he was scared that Gakushuu would run off again. Gakushuu kissed him back, setting his hands on his shoulders.

                Down below, Ren was grinning to himself as he saw them. Finally. Just like his romance books.


	6. Day Six - Rain

**Timeline: High School.**

 

                Karma Akabane sat on the railing on the roof of his school, rain pouring down. It didn’t really bother him, he wouldn’t fall. He’d spent a year training to be an assassin, and kept it up. He was strong enough to catch himself if he fell.

                He barely heard the sound of the door open behind him. He didn’t bother looking back, having an idea of who it was. After all, who else would still be here this late? It was nearly five.

                “Planning on jumping off? At least you’re being considerate enough to do it when the rain will clean your blood away.” Gakushuu had to speak loudly to be heard. Karma tilted his head back to peer at the blonde, grinning a bit impishly.

                “And make life easier for you? Don’t you wish.” He called back. Gakushuu had an umbrella, of course he did.

                “Come on. You’ll get sick. You can’t test well if you’re sneezing the whole time. I’d hate to win so easily.” Karma turned, getting off the railing with a smile. Ah, he would miss his rival looking so annoyed that they tied. He couldn’t have that, now could he?

                “Are you offering to walk me home Gakushuu? How sweet.” He cooed as he walked over. Gakushuu waited for him to get under the umbrella before heading over to the roof door. He probably had keys, since he was the Student Council President and such an amazing student.

                “My house is closer. You can wait there until the storm passes.” Gakushuu said lightly, not looking bothered in the slightest. Karma tried to conceal his surprise, following the other inside the building.

                “Really? You want me in your apartment? Shocking.”

                “Don’t look too far into it.” Gakushuu walked ahead, making quick work of the stairs. Karma grinned, hopping on the railing and sliding down. There were no teachers, and it was much more fun. Gakushuu didn’t say anything, simply looking annoyed. He opened his umbrella again once they reached the main doors, Karma getting closer to him to lessen the water hitting him. Their shoulders were pressed together, which defiantly didn’t make Karma blush. If anyone asked, he’d blame the cold.

                They walked in relative silence on the way to Gakushuu’s apartment, finally taking shelter inside. The storm had gotten worse as they walked, Karma was starting to wonder if he’d be able to leave Gakushuu’s apartment without getting soaked.

                Gakushuu slipped his shoes off and set the umbrella against the wall. “You can use my shower. I’ll set you out a pair of my pajamas, throw your clothes in the washer.”

                “Thanks.” Karma blinked, a bit surprised by his kindness. Well, it was probably for his own benefit. Otherwise Karma would get all his furniture wet, and his carpet. Gakushuu pointed out the bathroom, and Karma headed that way. He stripped out of his soaked clothes and left them on the floor, climbing in and cranking the hot water up. He examined Gakushuu’s shampoo – Orange? Seriously? He wondered if the other smelled like oranges… Okay, that thought process needed to stop right there.

                Karma grudgingly washed his hair with the orange scented shampoo. At least his body wash didn’t really smell like anything. When he finally, climbed out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and pulled the door open. Sure enough, there was a neat pile of clothes in front of the door, boxers, sweatpants, and a t-shirt. He picked the pile up, glanced down the hall, and shut the door. Well, these should fit at least…

                He pulled the clothes on, drying his hair a bit before heading down the hall to the living room, clothes in hand.

                “Where’s the washer?”

                “Through the kitchen. You’ll see it.”

                Karma headed through, spotting the washer and throwing his clothes in. He started it and headed straight for the fridge, opening it to see what Gakushuu had. Guess he went shopping recently, because it was more or less stocked.

                “I’m going to make food! Do you have pasta?”

                “Cabinet. Clean up any mess.” Karma rolled his eyes, grabbing some shrimp out of the fridge and grabbing pasta out. He filled a pot with water and began getting out what he needed to cook the shrimp. Soon enough, the kitchen was filled with the sounds and smells of cooking shrimp.

                Karma finally walked out, poking his head into the living room and freezing. Gakushuu was curled on the couch, lazily tapping on his computer. His free hand was buried in his hair, and he looked a bit bored.

                Damn, he looked hot though. Karma had the urge to go and cure that boredom. Those thoughts quickly fled as Gakushuu looked over, raising an eyebrow.

                “What are you making?”

                Karma blinked. “Uh, Shrimp Scampi. Want some?”

                “Don’t poison it.” Gakushuu said dryly. “But sure.”

                Karma couldn’t help but grin. “Aw, that’s no fun. Come on Gakushuu, you can’t be a spoilsport.”

                “Do I need to come supervise you?”

                “Nah, you look busy. It’ll be done soon.” Gakushuu nodded slightly, looking back down at his computer screen. Karma lingered in the doorway a bit, watching him for another moment before heading back into the kitchen. He’d learned how to cook rather quickly, living at home all alone for so long. When he was little he had nannies and caretakers, but once he hit about 11 his parents decided to stop wasting the money. From then on, he did the cleaning and cooking himself.

                Karma hummed a little to himself, pulling the pot off the stove and draining the pasta, putting some into two bowls. Then he poured some of the shrimp scampi on top, and left the rest in the pan on the stove. Just in case one of them got hungry later. After some searching around he found the forks and set them in the bowls, carrying them out to Gakushuu.

                The blonde had put his computer away. He looked over when Karma came in, taking the bowl from him and eyeing it a bit warily.

                “I didn’t poison it. Or put wasabi in it. Promise.” Karma rolled his eyes, settling down on the other side of the couch. Gakushuu glanced at him one last time before taking a small bite. Karma watched him carefully for his reaction, smiling when his eyes got a little wide.

                “I didn’t know you could cook.” Gakushuu blinked.

                “Learned skill.” He chirped. “So you like it? Good.”

                Gakushuu nodded, and they ate in silence. When Karma finished, he set his bowl on the coffee table and leaned back, listening to the sound of the rain pounding on the roof. It really didn’t sound like it was letting up out there, huh? At least they didn’t have to go to school tomorrow, so he didn’t have to worry about that.

                “Hey, I might have to stay over tonight. Okay?” Karma glanced over. Gakushuu had finished, setting his bowl to the side.

                “What? Yeah, I suppose. You can sleep on the couch.” Gakushuu nodded. Karma instantly pouted, moving over and throwing himself on top of the other.

                “But Shuuu-“

                “What are you- Get off me!”

                “I don’t want to sleep on the couch!” Karma whined. “I wanna cuddle with you, come on, please?” He was pleased to see a blush on the other’s face as he tried to push him off.

                “What the hell are you talking about? Get off!”

                Karma grinned, leaning up close to his face. “Come on Gakushuu, I just want to snuggle. Nothing wrong with that, right?”

                “Get off.” Gakushuu hissed in return, his face flaming. Karma couldn’t help but grin wider, leaning even closer.

                “Nope. Don’t think so. Hey, Gakushuu, I’m gonna kiss you, okay?” That was all the warning he gave the blonde, leaning up to kiss him. The hands that were trying to push him off stopped, and after a moment Gakushuu slowly started kissing him back. Karma couldn’t help but smirk slightly. He was relieved that he hadn’t read the signs wrong, and Gakushuu did like him.

                Karma pulled away, smiling faintly. “So, now can we snuggle?”

                Gakushuu sighed. “Fine. We can snuggle.”


	7. Day Seven - Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my least favorite? I don't know, I'm not really satisfied. I feel like I've used the 'worried about college' thing before, but I'm too busy to rewrite it ^^" So here it.

**Timeline: Senior Year of high school. Established relationship.**

 

                Gakushuu Asano sighed, tapping on his computer. Honestly, why were scholarship applications so difficult? Obviously he got almost all the ones he applied for, with his many extracurricular activities, President of the Student Council, intellect, and his Senior Essay that he wrote and rewrote, handing it off to countless teachers and his boyfriend, who read it despite making fun of him for it. Not to mention the letters of recommendation from all his teachers and the principal of the school, which was still well known for being one of the most prestigious.

                Now he just had to get through finding, filling out, and sending the applications. As he let out another groan, he heard the sound of the door opening, then shutting. The smell of pizza flooded the apartment, making Gakushuu’s stomach growl.

                “I brought dinner.” His boyfriend, Karma, called.

                “Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Gakushuu returned, grinning. He heard Karma laughing as he took his shoes and coat off, heading into the kitchen. It was true though. Gakushuu loved Karma a lot. They’d been together for nearly three years now, and they’d been living together for a year and a half.

                Karma finally came in with two plates. He set them both on the coffee table, flopping on top of Gakushuu and wrapping his arms around his waist.

                “I missed you.” He mumbled, kissing his neck lightly. Gakushuu grinned, tilting his head back to kiss him on the cheek.

                “I missed you too.” Karma looked over his shoulder, blinking at the laptop.

                “More scholarships?” He asked softly. Gakushuu sighed, nodding.

                “Yeah. Have you been applying? You need to, you know, collage isn’t cheap.” Gakushuu frowned at him. He shrugged a little, his arms tightening around Gakushuu’s waist. The blonde frowned, shifting and wrapping his arms around Karma’s neck.

                “You need to be. Why does college freak you out so much?” Gakushuu questioned. Karma sighed, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Gakushuu heard a soft grumble.

                “I didn’t hear that. Try again.” Gakushuu kissed his red hair lightly. Karma lifted up a little to speak.

                “I don’t want to lose you.”

                “What?” Gakushuu frowned at him. “Seriously? Come on Karma, you know better than that.”

                “We’re going to college. You might meet someone you like better than me.” Karma sighed. “You might find a girl you like.” Gakushuu knew Karma tended to worry about that. It wasn’t like Japan was to accepting of same sex relationships, so it might make a few aspects of their life a bit difficult… It wasn’t anything Gakushuu worried about though.

                “Karma.” Gakushuu dragged his face away from his shoulder, looking at him. “Stop. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and going to college isn’t going to change that. I love you, okay?”

                “But…” Karma looked hesitant, which Gakushuu was certain bothered him. Karma didn’t like being unsure, and he hated seeming weak to anyone, especially Gakushuu. It surprised him a bit that it didn’t take more to get this out of him. He must have been really beating himself up over it.

                “No buts. I love you, Strawberry.” Gakushuu leaned his forehead against Karma’s. “I love you so much. Nothing is ever going to change that. Not college, not people’s opinions, and defiantly not any girl or guy I might meet in the future.”

                “I love you too.” Karma murmured softly.

                “Good. My future is with you. I know that. You need to remember that.” Gakushuu kissed him, smiling slightly. “Now come on. We’ll eat, and then we’re looking for scholarships for you.”

                Karma smiled slightly. “Alright. Whatever you say Orange.”


	8. Day Eight - Propsal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I loved writing this! What a prompt to end Karushuu week on my friends. I hope you all enjoyed it!

**Time Period: A year after graduating college. Established relationship.**

 

                Karma Akabane was nervous. He prided himself on being able to be calm in some of the direst situations, from having to kill a giant yellow octopus to saving his friends from a pretty stupid classmate (sorry not sorry Terasaka). He asked Gakushuu Asano on a date in freshman year with barely a flutter of nerves.

                He was currently not calm. At all.

                “What if he says no?!” Karma hissed over the phone. Two of his closest friends, Nagisa Shiota and Akari Yukimura (or Kayano Kaede, depending on who you ask), were on the phone with him, trying to calm him down.

                “Karma, it’ll be fine. You two have been dating for eight years. If he says no at this point, it’ll be the most shocking thing any of us have ever seen.” Akari tried to calm him.

                “And we did have a super being that looked like an octopus as a teacher.” Nagisa added. Karma groaned, burying his face in his hands.

                “What if he hates the ring? God, what if it’s stupid? It’s stupid isn’t it? I can’t do this, he’ll hate it and he’ll say no and I can’t do this.” He groaned, popping open the top of the ring box and staring at the silver band. He’d had I love you engraved on the inside, along with a little orange. He thought it’d be cute at the time, but now he was worried that Gakushuu would think it was stupid.

                “You can do this. Come on Karma, you’re one of the bravest people I’ve met. You’ve planned everything perfectly, we’ve been planning this together for a month. He’ll love it. You just have to do it.” Nagisa told him. “The reservations are made, you’ve got this.”

                Karma heard the front door open. His eyes widened as he shoved the ring box in his pocket. “I have to go.” He hissed, hanging up and getting to his feet, He quickly made his way to the hall to greet his longtime boyfriend, smiling quickly.

                “Hey Orange.” He said. Gakushuu looked up, a tired smile crossing his face as he slid his shoes off and walked over to kiss Karma.

                “Hey Strawberry.” Gakushuu put his bag up on a hook. “Let me go change and we can go, alright?”

                Karma frowned a little, seeing the tiredness etched all over his face. “Are you sure? You look really tired… Maybe I should reschedule.”

                “It’s fine.” Gakushuu quickly assured him. “Really, I’ll be okay.” Karma must have still looked worried, because Gakushuu walked over and kissed his cheek.

                “I want to go out. We haven’t gone out in months because of our jobs. So don’t worry so much.” Gakushuu grinned at him, walking past towards the bedroom. Karma sighed, pressing his hand against his pocket before grabbing his jacket. He only hoped this went as well as Akari and Nagisa insisted it would.

                After Gakushuu changed and came out, they headed to the restaurant that Karma had picked out. He knew Gakushuu liked the food there, so he’d saved up for the price. It also had a live band and a small dance floor so couples could dance if they wished, which was a part of his plan. He just hoped it went like he wanted it too…

                Once they were there, Karma requested his table. After several tense moments, in which he prayed that they kept the reservations, the host found his name and they were led towards a table for two, on the edge of the dance floor. He’d requested that, but he wasn’t sure if he’d get it. At least he did…

                After they sat down and ordered their drinks, Karma excused himself to the bathroom and quickly headed that way. He caught their waiter, frowning slightly.

                “This is probably a weird question to ask, but I want to ask my boyfriend to marry me today.” He whispered quietly. “So, when we’re done eating and everything, could you ask the band to play this?” He held out a paper with the name of the song written down on it. It was the first song they ever danced to together, back in high school. The waiter grinned at him, taking the paper.

                “I can do that. Good luck.” He murmured, tucking the paper in his pocket and heading back. Karma let out a sigh of relief, walking back to the table and sitting down. Gakushuu was eating a breadstick, looking at the menu.

                “What are you thinking about?” Karma asked, leaning his head on his hand. Gakushuu looked up, blinking.

                “Not sure yet. I don’t want to get anything expensive.” He murmured, frowning. Karma scowled at him.

                “Don’t worry about that. Get whatever you want, okay?”

                “But Karma, we can’t-“ Karma waved his hand.

                “I’ve been saving for this, okay? Because we’re both busy and stressed, and you deserve it. Get what you want and I’ll pay, don’t worry about it.”

                “Really?” Gakushuu frowned. Worrywart.

                “I mean, I’d prefer it if you didn’t get the hundred dollar meal.” Karma joked. Gakushuu smiled, relaxing a little.

                “Fine, if you’re sure.” He finally nodded, closing his menu. Karma quickly chose out something, a little bit on the cheaper side, as the waiter returned with their drinks and took their orders. Karma also ordered crème burlee for desert, knowing very well that Gakushuu liked it. As the waiter left, Gakushuu eyed him.

                “My favorite desert. What are you planning?”

                Karma waved his hand dismissively, though his heart was beating fast. What if he figured it out? “I told you, we both deserve to relax a little. So I got you what you like. Why are you so suspicious?”

                Gakushuu sighed, setting his chin on his palm. “I don’t know. It’s been a long day.” Karma frowned slightly, reaching over and taking his free hand.

                “Tell me about your day. You can rant and rave all you want to me, I don’t mind.” Gakushuu laughed, and Karma grinned. He was glad he could still cheer him up on his bad days. The blonde started relaying his long day dealing with stupid people who thought Gakushuu was slow, all the frustrations pouring out. Karma nodded and agreed when needed, squeezing the others hand reassuringly.

                Around the time Gakushuu finished, their food came. The waiter winked discreetly at Karma before heading back. A feeling of relief filled Karma. Everything was going to plan… Good. He could practically feel the ring box burning in his pocket. He was anxious, hoping that Gakushuu would accept.

                Karma ate as much as he felt he could stomach, leaving a little room for dessert and requesting a to-go box. He could eat the rest tomorrow. Gakushuu did the same, though he had eaten more than Karma did. After the desert, which Gakushuu finished all of his and what was left of Karma’s, much to the redhead’s amusement, the waiter took their plates. After a few minutes, the song started play, and Karma felt his heart in his throat.

                He got to his feet, grinning at Gakushuu and holding his hand out. “Come on. This is our song, we should totally dance.” Gakushuu looked surprised, then grinned as he recognized the music. He took Karma’s hand and stood, much to the redhead’s relief. Karma pulled him onto the dance floor, close to the stage, and pulled him close. He set his hand on the small of his back, holding his hand. Gakushuu set his free hand on Karma’s shoulder, and they danced a simple waltz just like in high school.

                “Weird, wasn’t this the first song we ever danced too?” Gakushuu mentioned. Karma shrugged slightly, grinning.

                “Eh, I try not to think too hard about it.” He chirped. Gakushuu shrugged, and Karma once again hoped that he wasn’t catching on. Gakushuu wasn’t stupid, it was really hard to keep all of this hidden until now. He just hoped it worked.

                As the song came to an end, Karma took a deep breath. This was it. Now or never. Karma glanced at the singer, who smiled at him and nodded slightly. The last words rang out, and Gakushuu took a step back. Karma kept a hold on his hand though, despite Gakushuu’s raised eyebrow.

                “I gotta ask you something, so don’t run off please?” Karma slowly sunk to a knee. He honestly felt like throwing up. He dug in his pocket with his free hand as Gakushuu’s eyes got wide, and a hush fell over the restaurant. He finally pulled it out, flipping the lid open and holding it up so Gakushuu could see.

                “So, I had this whole speech planned and I’m kind of forgetting it.” He admitted. “But we’ve been together since high school, through college and now with our new jobs. We’ve fought so many times, been on different sides of battles, but we’ve always gotten through it and I think that’s because we’re meant to be. I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe in us, and I believe that no matter what comes, we’ll get through it together. You’re the smartest, cleverest, most devious person I’ve ever met besides myself, and you challenge me like no one else ever has or ever will. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Gakushuu looked like he was tearing up slightly, and Karma seriously hoped they were happy tears.

                “So, Gakushuu Asano, will you marry me?”

                Gakushuu was nodding his head before Karma actually got the whole sentence out, then followed it with a slightly choked, “Yes, you idiot, of course.”

                Karma beamed, getting to his feet and pulling Gakushuu into a tight hug. The diners burst into applause as Karma pulled away, reaching up to wipe a stray tear away, one he was sure Gakushuu would deny until the day he died. He pulled the ring out of the box, showing Gakushuu the inscription.

                “I didn’t know if you’d like the orange, I can get it taken out if you want…” He said awkwardly. Gakushuu rolled his eyes, kissing him lightly.

                “Am I going to have to put the damn ring on myself?” The blonde raised an eyebrow. Karma laughed, taking his hand and sliding it on. It fit, thankfully, and Gakushuu pulled him into another hug.

                “I love you, Strawberry.” Gakushuu murmured. Karma grinned happily.

                “I love you too, Orange.” He whispered in return, kissing his cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued on Day 3


End file.
